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Presentation
Text on this page is copyright 2017 to Calista Slytherin. The Presentation Rite is the first, and most essential, of the three Formation Rites that traditionalists who adhere to the Old Ways and a fuller and more supernatural understanding of the nature of their magic will undertake as a path of initiation into magical society. This is the only one of the three Rites that is widely considered to have a firm time limit set at the age of legal majority; there are no known cases of Magic accepting the Presentation of an adult and there is at least one documented case of a Presentation failing and being violently rejected, and though details are sparse in the historic documentation it is thought that the twenty-one-year-old initiate’s age may have been a factor. The Rite has two versions, both with a long precedent of being valid in the eyes of Magic and traditional magical society as the first step in the Formation series, depending on who is being Presented and the circumstances under which the Rite is being conducted. The child of at least one magical parent or squib aware of their magical heritage who intends to recognize their child and who themselves adheres to these traditions will typically be Presented as an infant or very young child in conjunction with their formal acknowledgment as a new member of the family. Children without a parent or guardian who will acknowledge them according to the Old Ways can perform the Presentation portion for themselves at any point between starting their magical education and reaching the age of majority. First Version The magical or squib parent who will be the primary individual conducting the ritual must be identified. In cases where two or more parents qualify to conduct the ritual for the child, the parent whose surname the child will be taking should usually fulfill this role if possible. If the child will have a combined surname from multiple parents, the parent representing the family considered to have primary claim on the child should be the primary speaker. If no parent feels that their family line has primacy over the other lines involved, the parent whose bloodline is either oldest or most highly regarded would make the most sense to lead the ritual, although any arrangement agreeable to all participants should suffice. Obtain a white candle. One of the child’s magical parents, if physically possible, or if all magical parents of the child are physically incapable then a magical relative or close family friend selected who intends to have a close relationship with the child and who has been through all three Formation Rites, should inscribe the child’s given name(s) into the candle using a knife with a metal blade. The candle, in fairly plain, sensible holder and kept safely away from the child if/when lit, will be an essential element in the Presentation. Some families’ own traditions include adding some of the child’s blood, collected when the umbilical cord was cut at birth, either to the wax of the candle if they make their own for this ritual or just a few drops dripped onto the carved name - this is a matter of parental preference and is by no means essential. If that element is included, depending on the political climate the ritual may be considered dark. Blood from an injury the child sustained should never be used and blood from any other incident that may have been painful for the child should likely not be used either. Select and prepare an appropriate location for the ritual. This should either be outside in a pleasant, safe area near the family home (under absolutely no circumstances can this Rite be appropriately - or safely - conducted in a location where the participants are unwelcome or would be trespassing) or indoors in a calm, tidy area of a room which ideally has pleasant associations for the parents and child and from which all items that would tend to symbolize or induce stress or disharmony have been removed. If the ritual will take place outdoors, no further preparation is strictly necessary. If indoors, three or more items which can serve as symbolic representations of Magic and the relevant family lines (ideally none of which should be poisonous to humans or depict death) should be gathered and brought to the ritual space. A circle does not need to be created, but one can be if desired and if it is impossible to avoid conducting the ritual in a space that has recently been associated with familial strife or unpleasantness then a circle most likely should be drawn and wild magic invoked in a cleansing and/or protective aspect. Ensure that the child is comfortable and as content as possible prior to bringing them to where the ritual will be conducted. All participants capable of doing so, including the child if of a sufficient level of maturity and mental understanding to reasonably comply with this instruction, should be in a calm, grounded, open frame of mind and should to the extent possible - except for the child, who obviously cannot - be in a state where they feel connected to their own magic. A few minutes of meditating prior to beginning the ritual is the most common method for achieving the appropriate mental and magical preparation, though it is definitely not advisable in this case to have used any substances which alter one’s perceptions or state of mind in order to aid in meditation. Acknowledgment Parent 1: Hold the baby if possible, or be in physical contact with them. “I, full name and relevant lineage present given name(s), my son/daughter/child other parent’s given names OR with other parents’ given names, as son/daughter/child OR heir/heiress, as appropriate of surname. Blood of my blood, child of my heart, be welcome amongst your kin.” Optionally at this point trace appropriate runes or the family crest - simplified if necessary for ease of drawing - on the child’s forehead in the parent’s blood or in properly prepared diluted oil. Parent 2 and any additional parents in turn: Hold the baby while acknowledging it if possible. “I, name(s), birth surname if appropriate, current surname acknowledge and welcome full name, my son/daughter/child. Blessings be upon you, blood of my blood and child of my heart.” Each other speaker after the first may optionally add runes to the child’s forehead in either their blood or oils, and may trace the family crest of their family of origin on the child’s cheeks if they retain membership in that family legally and magically. Pass the child back to the primary speaker. Parents together: “Ours to guide, teach, and nurture, may the love of family sustain you, and the loyalty of family bind you, from this day forward.” Presentation Parents capable of projecting an aura briefly without experiencing undue distress should likely do so; the magic should be actively needed for less than two minutes. Invite (do not invoke or direct!) Magic to accept the child. Exact wording matters far less than intention, although a traditional way to phrase this portion is as follows: Parent 1: “Lady Magic, mother, guide, and source of your chosen children’s power, we invite your presence at this occasion of our happiness. I we, if the other parent(s) will be present only as a witness and not an active participant on their own present to this child, full name, blood of my blood, child of my heart.” Parent 2 and any additional parents in turn, if applicable since only magical parents speak in the Presentation: “I invite Magic to accept given name(s).” Parent 1: “On behalf of surname, we ask Magic’s acknowledgment of given name(s). We present this child for your blessing, that he/she/they might learn and grow as one of your chosen. Hold the child, or just their hand, briefly over the unlit candle. With the child kept a safe distance from the candle in the arms of one of the parents, all participating magical parents, focused intently on the feeling of their own magic and the hope for their child to experience this themselves one day, in unison gently breathe both breath and magic onto the candle. If the child is magical and the parents have spoken with genuine intent, the candle will light. If it does not, the Presentation has failed and been rejected by Magic - a magical parent is likely to feel a twinge of this in their own magic if this happens - most likely because the child is a squib and not themselves a child of Magic. Theoretically, the Presentation could also fail if the premise on which the ritual is based - the parental ties to the child and desire to raise the child according to magical traditions - is somehow flawed, but this is likely irrelevant since no one with knowledge of the Rites should be reckless enough to attempt to either Acknowledge or Present a child for whom they lack the right to do so. Second Version This version is performed by a magical child on their own behalf at some point between age 10 and the age of majority. This version of the Presentation requires one magical adult or three already Presented magical children as participants/witnesses. The individual(s) should be bound by ties of kinship, close friendship, or other strong affection. Being asked to participate in the Presentation of someone who is not a very close family member - sibling, niece/nephew, first cousin or similar - is an immense honor that is rarely turned down because to do so is effectively saying that the child in question is unworthy of Magic’s particular attention. In the case that one feels this way, it is of course best to turn down the request, but it must be expected that grave offense could be caused by such an action. The child preparing for their Presentation should obtain a white candle and carve their given name(s) into it using a knife with a metal blade. Optionally, they may choose to add a few drops of their own freely given and safely obtained blood to the candle. It should be noted that if blood is used, the ritual as a whole will likely be considered dark magic and that this element is by no means essential to a successful Presentation. Although this particular use has few risks, blood magic in general can be rather tricky and is not necessarily recommended without guidance from or prior study with a knowledgeable practitioner of such arts. If it is physically impossible or unduly dangerous for the child to prepare the candle themselves, the other participant(s) may carve the name provided that the candle is then returned to the possession of the child to be Presented. An appropriate location must be selected and prepared. This should either be outside in an space typically used for rituals or indoors in a calm, tidy space ideally devoid of any negative mental associations. If neither of those options is possible, a neutral outdoor location is preferable to an indoor location which any of the participants associates with stress or discomfort. Should all available options be less than ideal, tidy the physical space, create a ritual circle, and invoke wild magic in protective and cleansing aspects to prepare a dedicated location for the ritual, repeating the cleansing and banishing the magic afterwards. If conducted indoors, in addition to the candle the ritual space should also be prepared with three or more symbols that represent the child’s view of Magic. The prohibitions against trespassing do not apply to a Presentation conducted by a child on their own behalf; thus if one is aware of a suitable ritual location at Hogwarts one need not be concerned with the impossibility of obtaining a light Headmaster’s permission to make use of it. The participants should bathe within an hour of the ritual and should spend the remaining time before it preparing themselves by contemplating their experiences of magic and opening themselves to the opportunity for connection to ambient magic greater than their own - the world’s magic, Magic the entity. The child to be Presented will, naturally, have the most difficulty with this, and meditation is particularly recommended for them. Appropriate incense may be used as necessary or desired, although it is strongly recommended that anything likely to actually induce a chemically altered state of consciousness be avoided at this time. Ritual Witness: “Welcome, name. You stand here today having declared your desire to present yourself to Lady Magic, the source of the magic in our blood and the reason for the power we wield, as Her own child. Does your intent remain the same?” Presentee: this somehow; the wording isn’t particularly important “Yes./It does.” Witness (or witness 2): “The Lady rejoices in welcoming Her chosen who seek Her freely.” Presentee: still isn’t important, but traditionally something like this “I am honored to bear Magic’s gift, and to have the chance to seek Her acknowledgment and blessing.” Witness (or witness 3): Then you are most welcome, name(s) to join those of us who have chosen the path of embracing the traditions of our magical heritage. Presentee: “That is my intention and my desire.” Witness(es, together): I (we) invite Lady Magic to greet and bless name, Her child. result in a palpable sensation of gathered ambient magic, stronger than just one-three combined projected auras Presentee: “I, name, present myself before Magic: mother, guide, and source of the power of our blood. I seek to learn, to know, to feel, and to reach my full potential as a child of Magic.” All participants, including the Presentee, light the candle through breath and will. With that as a focus, witness/es guide the Presentee through their first meditation that has a specific goal of connecting easily to their own magic. Category:Formation Rites